NCJ Number
134970
Date Published
1989
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This study discusses the prevalence of violence against children in Australia, the effects of child abuse, its causes, what has been done, and what should be done.
Abstract
Since there are no uniform data-collection standards for child abuse in Australia, there are no national statistics on its incidence. This study examines the prevalence of child abuse based on data on 7,914 children reported and assessed as having been abused in New South Wales in 1987. Based on the data, this study predicts that 9 percent of children born in New South Wales during 1987 will be reported and confirmed as abused children before they reach 16 years of age. Children under 1 year of age of both sexes and girls aged 13-15 years old have the highest reported incidence of abuse. The effects of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse of children includes mental retardation, brain damage, death, mental illness, an inability to establish intimate relations, and aggressiveness. There is little evidence of a characteristic personality pattern in abusive parents. There is evidence, however, that abusive parents have difficulty controlling their impulses, low self-esteem, poor capacity for empathy, and a tendency to isolate themselves from the community. Societal responses to child abuse have included legal reforms, improved training for child protection workers, support services to families, and public information campaigns. Future efforts must contribute to a comprehensive community effort that encompasses primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. 1 table, 2 figures, and 40 references